


When You Love Someone

by greeny1710



Series: The Chaotic Trio verse [12]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Break Up, Seb being the dad we all want, Song fic, Song: When You Love Someone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22452898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeny1710/pseuds/greeny1710
Summary: Fic based on the songWhen You Love Someonefrom James TW.Daniel’s going through some pain but he’s got the people at his side that will be there for him when he needs them most
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen/Sebastian Vettel
Series: The Chaotic Trio verse [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594924
Comments: 22
Kudos: 133





	When You Love Someone

**Author's Note:**

> So my original plan was to have this be from one of the Chaotic Trio’s POV and it be Seb and Kimi that were breaking up, but even I’m not that cruel (right now anyway lol) so we’ve got Daniel being sad instead
> 
> Obviously this isn’t based on reality, it’s an AU for a reason :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy x

Max came stumbling into the room, frowning as he stared at his phone.

“Hey dad? Can Daniel come over? Something’s wrong,” Max said, typing furiously. 

“Does he need picking up?” Kimi asked, and Max sighed and shrugged. 

“I don’t know, he’s not answering, I’m going to ring him.” Max replied. He came to sit on the arm of the sofa, tucking his feet underneath Sebastian’s leg as he pressed his phone to his ear. 

Max was biting his lip and nodding his head back and forth as he waited for Daniel to answer.

Sebastian looked over at Kimi, a silent conversation happening between them. Daniel had said to Max that he had to go home, had to sort some stuff out, and he never asked to come over this late. Max was an early to bed kinda person, and it was normally the time that Max was taking his pre-bedtime shower, but instead he was anxiously nibbling away at his thumb, waiting for Daniel to answer his phone as he worried endlessly about him.

“Daniel, you okay?” Max said quietly.

Sebastian watched as Max’s face dropped and his whole demeanour changed.

“Daniel what’s wrong? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” Max said. His eyebrows furrowed as he nervously flicked his gaze back and forth between his dads. 

“Dan, it’s okay, I’m coming to get you, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Max told him, jumping up and running off to grab his trainers.

“Somethings really wrong,” Sebastian said, “This isn’t like Daniel at all.”

Kimi shrugged, but Sebastian could see the worry settling in. Since Max had started dating Daniel, they’d come to love the mad little Aussie like one of their own. He made their son so incredibly happy and despite some initial issues with Max’s brothers, Daniel got along with the family like he’d always been a part of it. He was always smiling, always happy, and he always made Max smile. 

But now he was worrying Max, and neither of them had even seen Max worry about Daniel like this. Sure, they’d seen him worry when Daniel was doing his mock exams and was stressed, and they’d seen Max worry when a football match was getting a bit more violent than Max could stomach, but this was different. 

Max almost seemed scared for Daniel. 

“Dad?” Max nervously said, his phone pressed to his ear still, “Dad can you come with me to fetch Daniel please?”

Kimi nodded, straightening up from where he’d had his legs stretched across Seb, and leant down to briefly kiss him.

“Stay safe,” Sebastian whispered.

“We’ll be home before you know it.” Kimi replied, ruffling Seb’s curls lovingly and following Max out to the car. Neither of the twins had learnt to drive yet, and Seb bet that this was one of those times that Max was really mad at himself for it. 

“Dad, where’s Max?” Charles suddenly popped up out of nowhere.

“Gone to fetch Daniel, something’s wrong. What’s up?”

Charles shuffled on his feet as though he was debating something and then handed over his English book. 

“Can you read this and tell me if it’s utter shit? I don’t know if it makes sense or not.” 

Sebastian nodded, and Charles dropped into the seat Kimi had previously been in. He could see Charles biting the skin around his thumb nail in the exact same nervous way that Max had not ten minutes prior. But Sebastian ignored the mannerism and read his son’s work instead. 

“You got your pencil, kiddo?” 

Charles handed it over and Sebastian quickly wrote in a few corrected spellings for Charles. The rest of it was fine and Seb handed it back with an encouraging smile.

“It’s good, you seem like you know what you’re talking about.”

Charles fidgeted with it bashfully and looked away. 

“What’s up with Dan? Bit late, isn’t it?”

“Could say the same for you to be doing your homework, Charles,” Sebastian pointed out but Charles grinned cheekily instead of taking offence, “I don’t know what’s wrong with Daniel, he needs Max, so Max and your Dad have gone to fetch him. It didn’t sound good, so can you not bug them tonight? I think Daniel needs some quiet.”

Charles shrugged and nodded.

“He was quiet at lunch. He was fine at break, but then like, I dunno, he got a text or something and his entire mood just changed. He went from smiling and laughing to just like, completely shutting down. It was so weird.”

“Did you tell Max?”

“No, ‘cause he then carried on smiling and he made a joke but now you’ve said something’s up, it’s proper obvious that it wasn’t his normal smile, you know?” Charles looked thoughtful for a second and then he shrugged, “I gotta go finish this anyway. Tell Max I got it sorted, please.”

Sebastian promised he would and smiled as Charles left. Charles had changed since everything that had happened, and whilst he was still the most distant with Seb, things were getting better, and Sebastian was unbelievably proud of their baby. It had been the hardest thing to ever hit the twins, and there was times that Sebastian honestly thought the boys would never recover and they’d never talk to each other again, but it was getting there. It was getting better. 

The car seemed to pull up not too much later, and Sebastian wandered through to the door. Daniel was stood to one side, his hands clutching at his backpack as he waited for Max to finish grabbing something from the footwell. Kimi briefly squeezed Dan’s shoulder as he walked past him, and Sebastian caught his gaze. 

Instantly his heart dropped.

Kimi was devastated. 

Sebastian held out his hand, intent on rubbing his hands over the sadness in Kimi’s body, but Kimi quickly shook his head to tell him not to. 

“Wait till they’ve gone,” Kimi murmured. 

Daniel was clutching tightly onto Max’s hand as they walked up the driveway, ragged breaths the only sound coming from him, as their feet dragged across the stones. Max offered him a brief but sad smile and said, 

“We’re going to my room.”

Sebastian nodded, not even bothering to joke about telling Max to keep his door open. 

Daniel didn’t look up as he said,

“Thank you for letting me stay.”

His voice had never been so quiet, so rough. Even after everything that had happened, Daniel was so _different_ today to what they’d ever seen before. 

“You’re welcome Dan, you’re welcome here anytime, you know that.” Sebastian reminded him, to which Daniel nodded curtly. 

They proceeded to walk up the stairs, Max looking back briefly. His face was indecipherable. Normally Max was an open book. He couldn’t keep anything from them. But right now, it was like all of Max’s emotions had been sucked into Daniel and there was nothing left. 

“He looks so sad,” Sebastian said, tucking himself into Kimi and hugging his middle as tight as he could.

“He’s fucking devastated, Seb,” Kimi answered morosely, “I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“His parents just told him and his sister they’re getting a divorce. Daniel had no idea that was ever going to be an option for them, and they sprung it on them suddenly.” 

“You’re joking...” Sebastian murmured in disbelief. 

“I wish..” Kimi muttered, “He’s barely said two words to Max since he got in the car. Max said are you okay, and Daniel just looked at him. He couldn’t even speak, Seb, he’s absolutely destroyed about it. He’s blaming himself like crazy apparently.” 

“The poor kid, right before his exams as well, bloody hell, this is terrible timing.”

“I told him he can stay here as long as he needs to. He really doesn’t want to be at home right now.” Kimi said. “Shit, Seb, I just want to hug him so tight and tell him it’s not his fault.”

“Yeah yeah of course, he can stay forever if he wants. Does he need anything?”

“I told him to pack all his school books, his football kit, and some clothes for school. I figured we can just give him some of Val’s shirts if needs be and I know Max has quite a few of his hoodies and a couple of his shirts already.”

Sebastian hugged Kimi to him again, resting his head against his shoulder as he thought about it. 

He was glad that Kimi had been the one to go fetch Daniel. Kimi had always been the better one at crisis-management, and when he heard Kimi say that he wanted to hug Daniel and tell him it wasn’t his fault, Seb fell a little bit in love with him all over again.

But then the guilt started to ride up. How could he be thinking about loving Kimi when Daniel’s parents relationship had just torn apart like it was nothing? 

“Is there anything we can do?”

“Give him a hug, I think he needs one.” Kimi told him. Before Seb could even think about it, he pulled Seb tighter and wrapped his arms around him. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” Sebastian said, leaning up enough to brush his lips over Kimi’s. 

Before they went to bed, Sebastian stuck his head in Max’s bedroom. Max was laying on his back, his phone illuminating his face as he threaded his fingers through Daniel’s curls. Daniel was curled into Max as well as he could, holding onto him like he was the only thing keeping Daniel afloat with his head resting on Max’s chest. 

“Everything okay?” Sebastian whispered.

Max looked down briefly and shook his head. 

Sebastian wandered in, knelt down beside the bed and pat Max’s arm.

“It’s going to be okay. He’s going to be sad for a while but just keep reminding him that it won’t last forever. And he’s welcome to stay for as long as he needs.” Sebastian told Max. He pulled the blanket up over the boys, took Max’s phone off him and stuck it on charge. Daniel’s was also on charge on the opposite nightstand. 

It was weird to see the boys so domestically coexisting when it was all happening because Daniel’s home was falling apart. 

“Love you, kiddo. You know where we are if you need anything.”

“Ich liebe dich, Vati,” Max whispered back. 

Daniel was still fast asleep in Max’s arm, but one stray tear escaped and Sebastian felt his heart shatter. Max looked pleadingly across at Seb, as though he was begging Seb to tell him it would be okay, that Daniel would wake up tomorrow and he would be his normal, bubbly, cheery self, giggling and winding the twins up and probably being slightly inappropriate with Max just to get a rise out of Max’s brothers. 

But Max knew that he couldn’t. And that’s what made Seb’s heart hurt even more. 

“Do you want me to do anything?” He asked, knowing already that the answer was going to be a resounding no. There was nothing that could be done.

“Nah,” Max half shrugged, “I don’t think we can do anything, can we?”

Sebastian shook his head sadly.

“Unfortunately not, kleiner. Just keep reminding him that he’s not on his own and that we all love him.”

“I can do that,” Max nodded. 

“Right, get some sleep. You’ve got school tomorrow.”

“Night dad.”

“Night Maxy.”

“Night Seb,” a mumbled voice said, and they looked down to see Daniel poking one eye open blearily to look at Seb.

“Goodnight Daniel, sleep well.”

Daniel’s eyes fluttered shut again as he snuggled into Max, fidgeting until he was comfy. Seb watched for a moment, before brushing kisses to both boys hairlines. 

Sebastian slid into his own bed, pushing himself into Kimi’s arms and holding him tight.

“They okay?”

“Daniel’s sleeping, Max won’t let go of him,” Sebastian replied, “Daniel cried when I told Max I love him.”

Kimi closed his eyes briefly and then smiled sadly at Seb.

“Poor kid...”

Sebastian nodded. There was nothing more to say. Daniel was the sweetest lad they’d ever met, and to see him completely change was almost scary. And Sebastian hated that it had happened.

——

Sebastian was always the first one up, normally preparing the boys and Kimi’s breakfast whilst he made his own before heading to work. 

“Daniel? How long have you been sat there?” Seb quietly enquired as he entered the kitchen and saw Daniel sat on one of the bar stools and hunched over the island. 

“Like an hour? I dunno. Couldn’t sleep.”

“Want a coffee?”

“Please..” Daniel murmured, pillowing his chin on his crossed forearms as he watched Seb potter around. 

When Seb placed the cup in front of him, Daniel dragged it into his hands, blowing the steam away and stirring it lightly, his eyes spinning as he followed the movement.

Sebastian watched him for a while, looking back over his shoulder and seeing the youngster staring into the pits of the cup, almost as though if he kept looking into the darkness, something light would come out of it. 

“C’mon kid, come and sit in the front room, come and talk to me.” Sebastian nudged. Daniel reluctantly pushed himself off the stool and followed after Seb. 

When they reached the sofa, Daniel immediately dropped to sit against Seb’s side, allowing him to drag his arm over Daniel’s shoulder and rubbing his arm comfortingly. 

“Tell me what happened, get it off your chest.”

“Mum and Dad are splitting up,” Daniel emotionlessly told him, “Mum text me saying that I needed to come straight home from school, that I couldn’t hang around or go home with Max or bring Max back. Her and Dad needed to talk to me. And like, I thought it was to do with Michelle, because she was ill the other day and I automatically assumed the worst, you know? But then when I got home, Mum was crying and Dad was so stoic, it’s like it doesn’t even bother him, Seb.”

Seb didn’t say anything as he let Daniel talk, listened instead as he poured his heart out.

“And Dad just straight up said ‘your mother and I are divorcing’ and then when I got upset, Dad told me it wasn’t about me and it’s like, I _know_ it’s not, but they’re _my_ mum and dad, you know? Obviously I don’t want them to be unhappy, and if they’re not happy together I’d rather they weren’t together, but I’m allowed to be sad, aren’t I?” 

“Of course you are Dan, it’s a massive change. You’ve had nearly eighteen years of your mum and dad being together, for them to break up it’s always going to hurt, regardless of if you’re seven, seventeen, or seventy years old.”

“I just don’t get it,” Daniel said, his voice catching and breaking, and Seb’s heart broke along with it, “It just doesn’t make sense, I thought they were fine.”

“Sometimes parents just fall out of love, Daniel, it doesn’t always have a cause and you just kind of have to accept that some things aren’t meant to be.”

“Dad’s moving out.”

“It might be better, you never know. Having two happier homes can be better than one sad home. And you’ve always got a home with us too. Nothing’s going to change with you, Dan, your friends are still going to be the same, you room will stay the same, Max and us, we aren’t going anywhere.”

“I’m really going to miss him…” Daniel admitted, curling into Seb and burying his face in his chest. 

Seb carded his fingers through Daniel’s hair and let him cry into his shirt, slowly rocking him and shushing him calmly. 

“You’ll see him soon. You’re going to uni soon as well, remember that, so you’ll be moving out anyway. It’s always scary having a big life change, but your mum and dad still love you and Michelle the most, that’s what you have to remember.”

Daniel nodded amidst the tears. 

Max was stood in the doorway when Sebastian looked up, worriedly looking at Daniel and the way he was holding onto Seb like a lifeline. 

‘He okay?’ Max mouthed at Seb.

Seb gently shook his head and Max nodded, wandering back off to go into the kitchen. Knowing Max, he was definitely in there making Daniel’s favourite breakfast to try and cheer him up, and Seb had never been so proud of Max. 

Daniel was going to be sad for a while, in a lot of emotional pain, and Seb knew that he’d probably be quiet for a while. It was painful to see any couple break up, especially when it affected their children in such a way, but Seb also knew Daniel’s parents, and that they wouldn’t have just split up without having the best intentions for their children. They’d still love Daniel and his sister no matter what, and regardless of how much Daniel felt like it didn’t make sense, he’d be okay in a while, once he’d gotten used to the change and he wasn’t as freaked out by everything being different. 

But Seb also knew that Daniel would probably be hanging around their house for a while, not wanting to go home and deal with it being changed.

That was another thing he and Max had in common – neither were that good with change. But they had each other, and they loved each other. And Seb knew that Daniel would understand fully just how difficult things had been for his mum and dad when it came to leaving home to move to university and would be leaving Max behind. 

It would never have the same effect, but it would hurt then as well. It always hurt when you had to leave someone behind that you loved. But the boys had things to keep them busy, and with the way Kimi looked at Daniel last night, Seb knew that his boys would keep Daniel safe with them. 

And when Seb went to say goodbye to Kimi, running late for work having spent most of the morning with Daniel crying in his arms, he kissed him just that bit harder, reminding him just how much he loved him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this my dudes, feedback, comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated :)
> 
> Requests are always welcome, either in the comments or at my tumblr (3303andmore)
> 
> The whole ‘thing that happened between the twins’ is coming soon, idk when, but it’s a hecka long angsty Charles fic and so it’s slow going progress to make it as good as I want, but I promise it’s happening :)


End file.
